By "Net.cop" Scott Keith

"I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers! And you will know my name is The Lord, when I lay my vengeance upon thee…"

- Pulp Fiction

[Filter’s "Welcome to the Fold" plays in the background over a montage of Jeff Jarrett smashing guitars over people’s heads, and Tank Abbott punching people out. As the song concludes, the pyro starts exploding at the entrance, cueing the beginning of the show…]

Netcop’s WCW Uncensored – March 19, 2000

We are LIVE from Miami, Florida.

[Hosts Scott Hudson, Mike Tenay and Mark Madden discuss the odds of Jeff Jarrett making it out of the arena alive after facing Tank Abbott later tonight, and then making it out with his title should he survive Abbott and go on to face Booker in the evening’s main event.]

[We see Jarrett’s limo pull up, as the nWo, such as it is, emerges, with one Harris brother in front and one behind of Jarrett for protection. Riki Rachtman tries to get an interview.]

Riki: Mr. Jarrett! Tonight you have to face both Tank Abbott and Booker…are you worried about your chances?

Jarrett: Out of the way, slapnuts. Tonight everyone’s gonna learn why *I’m* the Chosen One. And since I’m SUCH a good mood, and since tonight is Uncensored, I’m giving out no-DQ matches for everyone!

[Shoves down Riki and heads to his office.]

[Cut to a corner of the lockerroom, where the Mamalukes are having a discussion with Disco Inferno.]

Johnny: You place the bet, Disco?

Disco: Yeah, but it’s a *lot* of money, guys.

Vito: Hey, as long as the Boss doesn’t figure it out, we won’t have a problem, will we?

Disco: We’re on national TV, you know.

[Both Mamalukes give him a blank stare.]

Johnny: So? Geez, you’re an idiot sometimes. [Their music starts] We’re on, let’s go.

Opening match, WCW World tag titles: The Mamalukes v. Three Count. Ralphus and his groupie, Leia Meow, come out with the challengers, but his participation is limited to pointing a finger at a few ringside spectators now and then. The challengers immediately nail the Mamalukes with stereo planchas, but stop to congratulate each other and get splatted with clotheslines. Johnny takes Shane and Vito takes Shannon, and they beat them to a pulp on the outside. Vito stands Shannon up in the aisle, and Johnny whips Shane at him, and they go crashing to the floor, as the Mamalukes laugh. They pick Shane up and toss him into the ring, then execute their double-teams on him. Shannon crawls slowly up the aisle in the meantime. Johnny leaps to the top and hits the diving legdrop, but Vito tells him not to cover, and they continue pounding on Shane. Shannon climbs onto the apron, and Johnny simply superkicks him off again, sending him crashing into the railing with a sick thud. Shane staggers to his feet, nearly unconscious, and Vito delivers the leaping DDT and covers…but Disco rolls in and stops him. He points to his watch, letting Vito know that he bet on a specific time for the match, so they can’t collect until the 3 minute mark. Shannon has crawled onto the apron again, and Disco instructs Johnny to go take care of him for good. Johnny heads to the floor and slams Shannon on the mats, then starts to work him over with rights to the head. Disco points to his watch, letting Vito know that it’s time…then kicks him in the gut and hits the Stunner! Johnny doesn’t see what’s going on, and Disco puts the unconscious Shane on top for the pin and the titles at 3:01! The crowd isn’t sure who to pop for as Disco grabs the titles and takes off at lightspeed for the dressing room, followed shortly after by the unlikely new champs.

[We cut to the back, as Riki catches Disco Inferno and Three Count heading back to the dressing room]

Riki: Disco, what happened out there tonight?

Disco: Riki, I see a lot of potential in these kids, and I had a LOT of money riding on the match. But I figured that since my bookie, Andy, was giving me 100-1 odds on Three Count winning, I’d put the money on THEM instead of Vito and Johnny, and now we’re all rich, and I’m still the Manager of Champions! Everyone’s happy this way!

Riki: I don’t think the Mamalukes are very happy…

Disco: They’re old news. Once we record our NEW single – a disco remix of "Can’t Get You Out of My Heart" – we’ll be rocketing up the charts and leaving those two morons in the dust. And if you’ll excuse us, we’ve still got some business to conduct tonight.

Shannon: [Holding up tag belt] Yo, Adrian, we did it, yo!

Cruiserweight title match: Chavo Guerrero, Jr. v. Kaz Hayashi. The LWO (Juvy, La Parka & Psychosis) are skulking around ringside, styling for the fans. They lock up, and Chavo nails Kaz with a bulldog right off. Kaz pops up and Chavo nails him with a right, but turns his back to gloat and gets suplexed when he turns around. Kaz lays in the boots, and picks up Chavo to deliver an early dragon suplex, but Chavo slides down and they go into a pinning sequence that gives both men several two-counts. The fans applaud the effort. Chavo slaps him and whips him off the ropes, and Kaz rebounds by jumping to the top rope and hitting a twisting quebrada that sends Chavo crashing to the floor. He goes to consult with the rest of the LWO, and Kaz follows with a monster tope con hilo onto all four guys. Kaz stops to pose for the fans, and they jump him, quickly beating him down. Chavo rams him face-first to the post, then tosses him back in. He comes in with a springboard dropkick for two. Kaz comes back with a spin kick on Guerrero, then a german suplex gets two. Chavo rolls back up, and Kaz goes for a rana, but gets powerbombed for two. Chavo comes off the ropes for a clothesline, but gets caught with a leg lariat for two. Dragon suplex on Chavo gets two for Kaz. German suplex gets two. An irish whip is reversed, but Kaz snaps off a rana on the rebound for two. Kaz Hayashi goes for a tiger suplex, but Guerrero counters it with a lowblow, then reverses for a german suplex for two. A superkick sends Kaz to the floor, and Chavo comes flying with a tope suicida. The crowd applauds. Chavo tosses him back in and comes off the top with an elbowdrop for two. Kaz fights up again and comes off the ropes with a bodyblock, but they both go crashing to the floor. Kaz tosses Chavo into the stairs, then hits a vicious brainbuster on the floor! Hayashi has to fight off the LWO again, however, as they whip Kaz into the guardrail and beat him down to give Chavo some time to rest. Both men crawl back in. Kaz hits a suplex on Chavo, and moonsaults him for two. Kaz comes off the ropes and gets clotheslined, then a senton gets two for Chavo. Chavo picks him up and delivers a Northern Lights suplex for two. Kaz staggers to his feet and Chavo hits an inverted atomic drop and dropkick for two. Guerrero whips Hayashi off the ropes, and Kaz snaps off another rana out of nowhere and comes back. He nails Chavo with rights, and a spin kick to the face. He whips Chavo off the ropes, and Chavo tries a leg lariat of his own, but Kaz ducks out of the way and hits a senton for two. Chavo gets to his feet and side-steps a Hayashi dropkick, but after celebrating gets rolled up for two. He slaps him and goes for a rana, but Kaz powerbombs him for two, then flips over into a pinning combination for two. Chavo bridges out and turns it over into a backslide for two. Kaz jumps over with a sunset flip for two, reversed by Chavo for two, reversed again by Kaz for two. Kaz stuns him with a spinkick, then hits a fisherman’s suplex for two. He quickly comes off the ropes with a quebrada, knocking Chavo down for two. He slams Chavo and goes for the senton bomb from the top, but the LWO jumps onto the apron! Suddenly, Disco Inferno and Three Count run out of the dressing room and pull them back down, and they brawl down the aisle! Chavo recovers enough to drop Kaz on the top rope and stun him, and he goes for the tornado DDT, but Kaz wriggles free in mid-air and reverses to a flying headscissors that sends Chavo flying to the opposite corner. Kaz comes in with a handspring elbow, but Chavo moves and Kaz hits chest-first. Chavo rolls him up for two. He goes for a suplex, but Kaz drops behind him, hooks the arms, and hits a tiger suplex for the pin and the title at 11:45, drawing a big pop from the crowd.

[Cut to the back, as there seems to be a confrontation going on. Jeff Jarrett and the Harris Brothers are trying to get to the locker room, but are being stopped by Curt Hennig, Vampiro and Kidman.]

Jarrett: You boys are getting real close to pissing me off, and you don’t wanna do that.

Hennig: Yeah, well everyone knows by now that you and Team Package are working together, so I’m just saying that you’d better watch your step tonight, and I don’t want to see you out there during my match with Flair. I know he paid you off to join his little group, but you don’t want any of us, especially if you cost me my match tonight.

Jarrett: You don’t tell the Chosen One what to do, so step aside before Big Ron and Heavy D force the issue.

[Suddenly, Evan Karagias (still wearing the Scotty Riggs tights), stomps out of the dressing room.]

Evan: Hey, jerks, back off! I think we’re all sick of you guys.

[Jarrett has a disbelieving look on his face]

Jarrett: Are YOU getting in MY face?

Evan: Yeah, you know it! You don’t want none of this, and you don’t want none of the American Males!

Jarrett: [To the Harris twins] You guys up for a squash tonight?

[They laugh and nod.]

Jarrett: Okay, kid, you and Buff got a shot at my boys here, but I won’t be held responsible for the consequences.

[Evan practically jumps for joy as he goes to inform Buff. The argument between Hennig and Jarrett continues, and from the dressing room we suddenly hear…]

Buff: YOU DID WHAT?!?

[Kanyon is walking out of the dressing room on the way to the ring, when suddenly Hennig stops arguing long enough to pull him aside.]

Hennig: Chris – you’ve seen the dirty backstage politics and people holding you back, right? We could use someone like yourself to help out our cause.

Kanyon: Sorry, Curt, I’m not really into that political stuff. I prefer to work alone.

Hennig: You sure?

Kanyon: Positive.

[Hennig shrugs, and goes back to arguing with Jarrett]

- Bam Bam Bigelow v. Kanyon. Bigelow brings his dumpster full of goodies, which presumably makes his a hardcore match. Kanyon seems less-than-pleased, but the ref shrugs his shoulders and starts the match. Bam Bam hits a forearm smash, then comes off the ropes and drops an elbow. Powerslam attempt is blocked and Kanyon hits a lariat for two. Bigelow ducks a leg lariat and hits that powerslam for two. Bam Bam presses Kanyon and drops him on his face, then drops three headbutts on his shoulders, for a two count. Bigelow hits two forearms and tosses him out of the ring. He rummages through his goodies and finds a frying pan, delivering two shots with it. Kanyon comes back and whips him into the railing, then shrugs and delivers his own frying pan shot. They brawl around the ring, and Bigelow chokes him down with the TV cable. He comes back in the ring. Kanyon crawls back in, and Bigelow lifts him with a choke, but Kanyon kicks him low and clotheslines him for two. Bammer hits a hard slam and drops an elbow for two. They get into a slugfest, easily won by Bigelow. Kanyon hits a quick DDT to block another right, but Bigelow no-sells and slams Kanyon again. Suplex gets two, then Bigelow lays in more punishment. He picks him up and clotheslines him, then hits a samoan drop for two. A big splash gets two. An elbowdrop gets two. Kanyon rolls to the corner and Bigelow hits a series of chops, then a headbutt that drops Kanyon to his knees. Kanyon slugs away to try to come back, and eventually overpowers him, but Bigelow hits a vicious forearm to knock him down again. He follows with a powerbomb for two. Kanyon gets up, so Bigelow does it AGAIN, and again gets two. Bigelow rolls out and finds a stop sign in his dumpster this time, but Kanyon has recovered enough to duck and grab it, getting his own shots with it. With Bigelow stunned, Kanyon hits a forward suplex for two. Kanyon knees Bigelow in the back to wear him down, but Bigelow shrugs him off and slams him, then waffles him with the roadsign. Bam Bam hits the diving headbutt on Kanyon, but chooses to pick him up. Bam Bam goes for a gorilla press, but Kanyon counters it with a facerake. Kanyon comes off the ropes, but gets caught and press-slammed for real, and splashed for two.

Bam Bam Bigelow goes for a backdrop suplex, but Kanyon counters it with an elbow to the head, then a superkick. Bigelow rolls out and finds a table! Kanyon comes off the ropes, but Bigelow shoulderblocks him coming in, then powerbombs him again. He sets up the table and puts Kanyon on it, and heads to the top. He goes for the moonsault, but Kanyon moves and Bigelow goes through the table. He doesn’t seem too harmed, but is mildly staggered, and that’s enough for Kanyon, who quickly hooks the Flatliner and gets the pin at 8:04. Suddenly, Kidman and Vampiro charge out of the dressing room and start laying the boots to Kanyon. Bigelow is about to help his opponent out, then shrugs and joins in the beating. He heads back to the dressing room with Vamp and Kidman.

[We cut to the back as Jarrett is in his office, talking to someone unseen.]

Jarrett: Now that those two bald goofs are busy getting ready for their match tonight, you and I can talk turkey. I understand that you’ve done some bodyguard work in the past…would you be willing to do it again?

[The unseen figure gives an uncommitted shrug]

Jarrett: Would this help your decision any? [He pulls out one of the envelopes of money given to him by either Flair or Hennig and hands it over. Presumably the person is smiling, because Jarrett is as well.]

Jarrett: So we have a deal then. I’m sure you can figure out what to do tonight.

[Cut back to the ring]

- World TV title match: Hacksaw Jim Duggan v. Norman Smiley. They lock up, and Duggan nails Smiley with a hiptoss. Smiley comes back with a russian legsweep on him and a slam. It gets one. Norman Smiley goes for a double underhook suplex, but Duggan blocks it, and reverses to a vertical suplex. Smiley ducks a clothesline and powerslams Duggan for two. He punches and kicks to wear him down, teasing the Big Wiggle. He goes to the arm, locking in a cross-armbreaker until Duggan makes the ropes. Smiley goes to a hammerlock, working the arm. Duggan rolls out to escape, and Smiley follows. He whips Duggan into the guardrail, arm-first, and Duggan grabs it in pain. Smiley actually picks up the stairs, driving it into Duggan’s arm. Norman takes a swing, but Duggan counters with an atomic drop and a whip into the railing of his own. Back in the ring, where Smiley attacks him on his way in, and hits a gutwrench suplex and a clothesline for two. He does the Big Wiggle, drawing a big pop. He goes for the spinning bodyslam, but Duggan falls back on him for two. Duggan comes back, peppering Smiley with rights and a clothesline. He uses the bad arm, however, hurting himself further. He starts a "USA" chant, and goes for a slam, but Norman goes behind him, hooks the Norman Conquest, and the injured Duggan has to submit at 5:42, giving Norman the TV title. Trainers help Duggan out, as he’s clutching his arm the whole way.

[In the back again, as Booker prepares for his match. Curt Hennig, along with Kidman, Vampiro and new inductee Bam Bam Bigelow, walk into the room and have a seat.]

Hennig: Booker, let’s be up front here – we like you, and once we get the Horsemen name from Flair, we think you’re the guy to help take the group into the next century. I mean, the match with Kidman, that’s just business. You do your thing, we do ours, and sometimes our paths cross.

Booker: What’s your point?

Hennig: Do us a favor. You "do the time-honored tradition" and send the US gold *our* way, and we’ll see if we can’t help you out a little against Jarrett in the main event tonight.

Booker: I don’t think I want that kind of help.

Hennig: Hey, no problem, but remember: It’s a harsh world out there, and things are changing. You need friends, and we can be your friends.

Booker: You sound like the mafia or something. Now if you GENTLEMEN will excuse me, I’ve got to prepare for your boy Kidman there.

Hennig: Well, can’t say we didn’t make the offer, then. Good luck.

Booker: Yeah, whatever.

[Hennig and his group depart.]

Booker: Punk-asses.

- US title match: Booker v. Kidman. They lock up, and Booker gets a quick armdrag on Kidman to take him off his feet. He whips him off the ropes, and Kidman nails Booker with a bulldog out of nowhere, then hits a dropkick. He picks him and goes for a backbreaker, but Booker punches out of it, and drops him on the top rope with a stungun for two. Kidman staggers to his feet and Booker dropkicks him, then comes off the ropes with a flying forearm and fistdrop for two. Side suplex gets two. Booker hammers on him and whips him off the ropes, but Kidman returns with a lariat to flatten him. He picks Booker up, but Booker elbows him in the midsection and hits a clothesline for two. Kidman gets up and Booker hits a scissor kick for two. Kidman ducks a flying forearm and pounds him on the mat. Booker fights back and a slugfest erupts. Booker whips Kidman into the corner, but misses the charge and Kidman hits the rebound clothesline for two. Sunset flip gets two. Inverted DDT gets two. Standing dropkick sends Booker to the corner and Kidman hits a bodypress as he comes out, for two. Booker gets up and takes a swing, but Kidman takes him down with an armbar to counter. Booker makes the ropes, and Kidman comes off the ropes at him and gets hit with an elbow to the mouth. Backbreaker and clothesline gets two. Elbowdrop gets two. Booker raises the roof to get the crowd going, then hits a standing sidekick on Kidman as he gets up. Kidman rakes the eyes and suplexes him. He whips him into the corner, but runs into a boot to the head on the charge. Booker hooks a sleeper, and the crowd pops. Kidman goes down for a long time, but eventually struggles to make the ropes. Booker hammers on him, but Kidman gets a low blow to stun him. The Rydien bomb gets two, and the crowd boos as Kidman postures. Booker spins up and clotheslines him from behind while he’s making kissy-face with Torrie. Powerslam gets two. Booker suplexes him, but Kidman ducks a scissor kick and executes a fame-asser for two. Kidman hits a bulldog for two. He tries the Rydien bomb again, but Booker reverses it to a DDT and the crowd pops huge. Both guys are down for an 8-count. Booker is up first and tries a spinebuster, but Kidman counters with a small package for two. Kidman shoves the ref for counting slow. Booker cradles him during the argument for two. Kidman rolls out to consult with Torrie and stall for time. Booker follows with a pescado, and they brawl on the floor. Kidman whips Booker into the stairs, and hits the Shooting Star Press off the apron! Kidman sends him face-first to the ringpost, and whips him into the railing. Kidman tries to dropkick him, but Booker moves, and then picks him up and whips him into the railing. They brawl up the aisle, and now Hennig and Vampiro wander down to ringside, and Hennig has a mike. Booker hits a spinebuster on the floor and Hennig politely applauds. He tosses Kidman back into the ring and calls for crowd support, and gets it. Hennig and Vampiro suddenly jump into the ring. The ref warns them, but it’s no-DQ so he’s pretty powerless. Booker gets into Hennig’s face, but Hennig motions for him to stand back…and waffles Kidman! Vampiro hits a stiff spin-kick to the head, knocking Kidman out cold.

Hennig: Last chance, Booker. As a sign of good faith, we’re willing to sacrifice Kidman for the greater goal. We want you to join our group, at any price.

Booker: Like you said – you do your thing, I’ll do mine.

Hennig: Is that a no?

Booker nods, and Hennig shrugs and KO’s him with the mike. Hennig and Vampiro take a seat at ringside as both men recover. Booker is up first and gets a small package for two. He stupidly goes for a powerbomb, but you can’t powerbomb Kidman, so he reverses with a facebuster. He goes up top for the shooting star press, but again changes his mind and goes for the flying elbow, but that moment of hesitation costs him, as Booker moves, spins up, and hits the standing sidekick. He heads to the top, hits the missile dropkick, and gets the pin to retain the title at 13:01. The crowd pops, and Hennig jumps into the ring and slams a chair into the back of Booker’s leg, knocking him down clutching his knee in pain. Hennig, Vampiro and Kidman stomp him down for a bit, before the trainers finally get a chance to cut in and attend to Booker. Hennig’s wannabe Horsemen head back to the dressing room.

[Riki Rachtman corners them to get a word from Vampiro about his match with Luger]

Riki: Vampiro, just moments from now, you’ll be facing…

Kidman: What the hell happened out there!? Why didn’t you guys jump in there BEFORE he pinned me?

[He shoves Hennig]

Hennig: Hey, hey, don’t worry, it’s under control. It’s called "you scratch my back, I scratch yours".

[Kidman looks at him, confused, so Hennig leans over and whispers something in his ear, which immediately brings a smile to his face.]

Kidman: Yeah, that DOES work out for everyone, doesn’t it?

Riki: What’s going on here?

Vampiro: The apocolypse is almost here, Riki. That’s what’s happening, and that’s what’s gonna be happening for a long time to come.

[Vampiro heads off for his match while Hennig and Kidman cackle to themselves.]

[We cut to Jeff Jarrett’s office, as Buff enters.]

Jarrett: Ah, Mr. Bagwell. How’s the American Males thing going?

Buff: Uh – not really well. Look, I know Evan said some stuff and got this match with the Harris Brothers signed, but I’m still sore from last Monday and I’m not really into it tonight, so I’d kinda appreciate it if you could call off the dogs, so to speak.

Jarrett: I’m a reasonable man, Buff. You know that. And I like you – I see some potential in you. So just for you, I’m calling it off…

Buff: Great, that’s a load off my mind…

Jarrett: …because I’m sure that a handicap match will do young Evan a world of good.

Buff: Pardon?

Jarrett: A good beating might set his head straight.

Buff: I don’t think you quite understand…

Jarrett: Oh, I understand. I just don’t care. There might be a place in the new regime after everything goes down tonight for you, Buff, and I need a show of good faith on your part. But I don’t need your idiot partner, so to make sure that you don’t do anything that we’d both regret, I’ll leave you to have a little talk with my associate here.

[A large shadow steps into the picture.]

Buff: Hey, isn’t that…

Jarrett: Yup.

Buff: Wow. Didn’t think you two could get along.

Jarrett: [Getting up to leave] Money talks, as you should know well. So, as long as you don’t move from this desk for the remainder of the night, you won’t have to worry about anything, will you? Now play nice…I’ve got other things to do.

Handicap match: The Harris Brothers v. Evan Karagias. Evan comes out to "American Males", but seems confused when Buff doesn’t follow him. The confusion quickly turns to pain as the Harris brothers completely destroy him, pounding on him in the corner, double-teaming him to death, and then putting him out of his misery at 2:13 with the H-Bomb.

[We follow Evan back to the dressing room, as he stops wrestlers to find out what happened.]

Evan: Does anyone know what happened to Buff?

[Jeff Jarrett takes him aside.]

Jarrett: You should probably hear it from me – he came to my office and asked me to take him out of the match, because he didn’t want you embarrassing him any more.

Evan: [Shocked] Wh-what?

Jarrett: He’s in my office right now, waiting to see if I’ll give him a place in my group of men. See? [He pushes his door open a crack, to reveal Buff indeed sitting in Jarrett’s office. The imposing figure is hidden behind the door.] Sorry, kid.

[Evan appears to be on the verge of tears as Jarrett walks away, his concerned look slowly turning to a smile as he leaves Evan’s vicinity. He meets Flair, who is preparing for his match with Hennig.]

Jarrett: Ric, while you’re here, I wanted to let you know that I’m on board.

Flair: Excellent. Let me shake you hand and welcome you to Team Package.

Jarrett: That’s what I’ve been meaning to talk to you about – Lex Luger has too many ambitions. I think we need to take him down a notch – if you know what I mean.

Flair: I don’t do dirty work, brother – that’s what guys like Curly Bill or whatever he’s called this week are for.

Jarrett: It’s not dirty work, it’s a favor. You scratch my back, I scratch yours.

Flair: That’s not the way we did in the old days, Jeff. Back then, if you wanted someone gone, you told them to their face, then you got three of your best friends to help you back it up. There wasn’t any of this backdoor stuff until all these young punks with no respect for the traditions of the sport came along.

Jarrett: My thoughts exactly. So we have a deal?

Flair: I’ll think about it.

[Flair walks off. Luger, who was coming from the opposite direction, approaches Jarrett.]

Luger: What were you and Flair talking about?

Jarrett: I think he was trying to convince me to take you out so he can head up Team Package.

Luger: Dammit! I knew he was after that.

Jarrett: Don’t worry – he’ll get his tonight. And when he does, there’s nothing that says you have to help him.

[Luger and Jarrett share a smile at that, as Luger heads to the ring for his match.]

Vampiro v. Lex Luger. Luger whips Vampiro into the ropes out of the lockup, but gets caught with an elbow and a roundhouse kick. He tosses Luger out of the ring and rams him face-first to the railing and post. Luger bleeds early. He becomes enraged, knees Vampiro in the back, then tosses him into the ring. He hiptosses Vamp, who promptly pops up and hits a backdrop suplex on Luger. A dropkick misses, and Luger knees him in the back. Luger hits an inverted atomic drop, and they slug it out. Vampiro goes for another roundhouse kick, and Luger catches his leg and clotheslines him down. He picks him up and hammers away with rights and chops in the corner. Vamp gets a quick dropkick to stagger him, then kicks away to come back. Vampiro comes off the ropes with a leg lariat and a legdrop for two. Vampiro complains, and Luger rolls him up for two. Luger whips him off the ropes and hits the powerslam, but Vampiro’s foot is on the ropes. He goes for a hiptoss, but Vampiro blocks and kicks him in the head. He hits a powerbomb for two. Luger gets up and Vampiro hits another roundhouse kick, and another, and a third, then a huge superkick to the face as the cut starts to gush blood. Luger, blinded by blood, takes a swing for a clothesline, but Vampiro sees his opening and catches him, then scoops him up and executes the Nail in the Coffin for the win at 5:48.

[In the back, we see Booker talking with Executive Committee member Terry Taylor.]

Booker: With all the crap Jarrett’s been pulling lately, I don’t think I can get a fair shake in my match with him. Is there anything I can do to even the odds?

Taylor: Well, you know that we can’t change the booking of the matches, but we CAN control the referees. So if you can think of someone who would want him to go down as badly as you do, we can appoint him the guest referee tonight.

Booker: I know JUST who to get.

[We cut back to the ring.]

Jeff Jarrett v. Tank Abbott. Jarrett reminds the crowd that the match is NON-title. They lock up, and Tank headbutts Jarrett right away. Jarrett tries a shoulder tackle and gets nowhere. He takes a blind swing and Tank hooks an armbar takedown, causing Jarrett to desperately reach for the ropes to break. Tank grabs him by the hair and pummels him, and the ref calls for the break again. Jarrett staggers up, and Tank decides to go basic, hooking a full-nelson to work on Jarrett’s neck. Jarrett seems powerless and goes down fast, nearly blacking out after half a minute in the hold. His feet finally sag down far enough to touch the ropes, and again the hold is broken. Jarrett comes back with punches, which are totally ineffective, and Tank in fact seems to be enjoying it. He finally responds by nailing Jarrett square in the chest with a forearm that sends him crashing to the corner. He loads up the big right, but Jarrett bails at the last second and stalls for time on the floor. Tank waits him out, patiently. Jarrett insults some fans at ringside, then tentatively rolls back in, only to get stomped on. Tank comes off the ropes, but gets caught with an inverted atomic drop and a dropkick. Jarrett struts to celebrate his first offensive move of the match, then turns around and nearly gets caught with the knockout punch. He ducks just in time, and the ref takes it instead, hitting the mat like a ton of bricks. Jarrett quickly executes the Stroke on the distracted Abbott, but there’s no one to count. Jarrett yells "Gimme a ref!" to the dressing room, and as if in answer, Terry Taylor emerges…with Sid Vicious in a ref shirt! Jarrett backs up in fear, and gets caught with the knockout punch from behind, as Vicious rolls in to count to 10 and give the win to Tank at 3:48.

[We head back to the dressing room for a word with Sid and Taylor.]

Riki: I assume we have the special referee for tonight.

Taylor: That’s right – the WCW Executive Committee has used its remaining power to assign Sid to the main event tonight. We won’t let Jarrett run this promotion into the ground, I promise the fans that much.

Riki: Sid, what’s your thoughts on reffing the main event?

[Sid is about to say something, but is interrupted by Jeff Jarrett, who bursts into the interview area]

Jarrett: This is BS, Taylor! I’ve had it with your meddling in my affairs, and now you’re done what you shouldn’t have: You’ve PISSED ME OFF! So I want another little stipulation for my match against Booker: You can have Sid as your referee, but if *I* win, I want your position on the executive committee, so that way there’s no more beaurocrats in my way and I’ll be free to run this dump the way *I* see fit. And one more thing – just to make sure the next match gets played out fairly, I’m gonna use my stroke and appoint MYSELF the special referee – if that’s alright with the executive committee.

Taylor: It’s on!

[They shake on it, and go their separate ways.]

Riki: Now I’d like to bring out the Nature Boy, who will be stepping into a cage match with Curt Hennig next, for the Horsemen name.

[Flair enters, looking cocky as ever]

Flair: Whoo! Tonight’s the night, Curt, where you go to school for the last time with the Nature Boy. No more "last matches" between us, just one match for the history books, winner gets the Horsemen name, loser probably gets taken out on a stretcher. It doesn’t matter if God himself is the special referee tonight, because even He’ll have to call for the bell once I lock in the figure-four in the center of the ring and make that punk Hennig cry for his mommy.

[He adds one more "whoo" for the viewers, then leaves for the ring.]

Cage match for the Horsemen name: Ric Flair v. Curt Hennig. Both men offer money to Jarrett when the other isn’t looking, but from the look on Jarrett’s face it becomes apparent that both have committed a serious social faux pas and offered him identical bribes! Ric Flair starts chopping away right out of the lockup, drawing the crowd into the match early. Flair rubs Hennig’s face across the top rope, then chops him hard again, causing Hennig to somersault out of the ring. He climbs back onto the apron, and Flair chops him there several times, ending with a stiff right that sends him flying into the cage. Hennig stops and walks it off for a bit, then rolls back in. Flair moves in with a headlock, which is countered with an atomic drop by Hennig, then a hiptoss. Flair comes back with a thumb to the eye, but Hennig recovers and whips Flair out of the ring. He follows and takes another cheap-shot from Flair, when then rams Hennig face-first to the cage and scrapes his face across it. Meanwhile, Jeff Jarrett buffs his fingernails in the corner. Hennig chops Flair and a slugfest erupts on the floor, with Hennig getting the better of it despite the blood that is now running in his eyes. He whips Flair into the cage and rolls into the ring again. Flair follows and Hennig charges at him, but Flair moves and Hennig eats turnbuckle. Flair rolls him up for two, and Hennig pops up and rocks Ric Flair with an elbow. Hennig nails Flair in the midsection, then whips him off the ropes and backdrops him. Flair gets up clutching his back and Hennig locks on a sleeper, which is quickly broken with a jawbreaker, then reversed by Flair, which in turn is broken with a blatant low blow. They slap each other, and Jarrett cheers them on. Flair chops Hennig extra hard, reddening his chest, and suplexes him for two. Flair goes to the headlock, while seemingly negotiating something with Jarrett. The negotiations apparently go bad, because Jarrett yells at him to break the hold. They slug it out with some vicious shots, then Hennig goes into his own side headlock, and he too has an ongoing conversation with Jarrett, which again results in Jarrett calling for the break. Flair takes the opportunity to clip Hennig, sending Curt crashing to the mat clutching his knee. Flair goes into his patented offense, working the knee for several minutes while Hennig yells in pain. Hennig fights to his feet and tries a suplex, but Flair reverses it. Flair hits a kneedrop on the injured knee, and calls for the figure-four. Hennig manages to reverse to a cradle for two. Flair kicks away the knee again, then backdrops him. Hennig comes back with a shoulderblock and elbow, but when he goes for the necksnap he lands badly on the injured knee, and Flair goes after it again. Flair gives a triumphant "whoo" and locks on the figure-four. Jarrett seems to be in no hurry to check on the proceedings. Hennig fights the blood running in his eyes and struggles to make the ropes, but Jarrett casually gets in his way and counts his shoulders down for two. Hennig, desperate, grabs onto Jarrett’s shirt and pulls himself over to reverse the move. Flair releases after sufficient pain. Hennig tries to swoop in with a quick swinging neckbreaker, but Flair blocks with a backslide for two. They exchange chops. Hennig gets a slam to give himself a breath, and goes to the headlock again to get his wind back. He picks him up and delivers a textbook standing dropkick to knock Flair down, and it gets two. Flair hits a quick low blow to put Hennig down again, and tries a slam, which is reversed to an inside cradle for two. Flair kicks him in the knee again, so Hennig rears back and cold-cocks him with a right, and Flair flops to the mat. Hennig is re-energized, and the fans are unsure of who to cheer for. Hennig comes off the ropes and hits his necksnap with Flair face-first on the mat, drawing "oooohs" from the crowd. He comes back the other direction and stomps Flair in the neck, then rubs his face into the mat. He picks him up and delivers the neckbreaker, then picks him up again and hits a Rude Awakening, swivelling his hips in tribute to Rick Rude. That puts the crowd over the edge and onto his side for good. It gets a two count. Small package gets two. Vertical suplex gets two. Hennig comes off the ropes with a clothesline, but Flair catches him with his own and both men are down for a double KO. Hennig rolls over first and gets a two count. He picks Flair up and hits a backdrop suplex, then drops a leg on Flair’s lower mid-section. He wipes the blood out of his eyes and into his hair, to great effect. He locks Flair into a neck vice, and Flair’s arm drops twice before he fights out of it. They slug it out again, and Hennig gets a bulldog for two. He signals for the Hennigplex, but Flair low-blows his way out of it, then locks the figure-four in again. Vampiro, Kidman and Bigelow come charging out of the dressing room, but are unable to get into the roofed cage or past the locked door. Hennig sucks up one more burst of energy and makes the ropes. He rolls out of the ring to consult with his team and Flair follows. Hennig suddenly drops down and Kidman tosses powder in Flair’s face. Hennig throws Flair back in the ring, who in his blinded state takes a swing at Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett responds by hitting the Stroke on Flair and offering him to Hennig. Hennig yells about how he wanted the win himself and gets into a shoving match with Jarrett, popping the crowd big. Flair suddenly dives at Hennig out of nowhere with a bodypress, and Jarrett counts the pin at 19:27! The cage raises, and Hennig’s henchmen rush into the ring and corner Jarrett. Jarrett yells at Dave Penzer to throw him his guitar, but it’s still 4-on-1. Suddenly, Flair jumps to Jarrett’s aid, chopping away at all four and backing them down. Flair turns around and offers his hand to Jarrett, who shakes it. Flair raises the four fingers…and Jarrett smashes the guitar over his head! Hennig’s men pounce, and all five completely destroy Flair, with Hennig hitting the Hennigplex on him, Bigelow coming off the top with a diving headbutt, Kidman dropping a flying elbow, and then Vampiro standing him up and kicking him straight in the face. Lex Luger finally comes in to make the save, chasing everyone off with a chair…then HE turns on Flair, too, smashing the chair over his head, then tossing him over the top rope. He high-fives the rest of the group as Flair crawls back to the dressing room very slowly. Paramedics eventually rush out to attend to him, seeing the blood coming from his mouth. Flair shoves them away, fighting to maintain his dignity.

[Jarrett takes the mic]

Jarrett: You know, there’s always that big moment in James Bond movies where the villain stops to explain everything, and this is it. So listen up, Flair: The Horsemen are dead. The nWo is dead. Team Package is dead. We’ve been playing you all for fools for two weeks now, and now we’ve killed them all, and now what you see in the ring – Vampiro, Kidman, Bigelow, Luger, Hennig and myself -- plus one more little surprise tonight, is the true elite of wrestling. We’re sick of taking crap from the old farts like you and Hogan and Funk, and everyone else who refuses to get out of the way for the new blood, and tonight we take what’s ours, and tomorrow I’m gonna start the show by demolishing the old set and building a NEW Nitro, dedicated to us. We ain’t just the Four Horsemen – we’re the whole damn APOCOLYPSE!

[Flair yells "I’ll be back!" at Jarrett]

Jarrett: You won’t do shit, Nature Boy. [Torrie pulls a videotape out of her purse] Remember your little meeting with Torrie last week in your dressing room? You think your wife would appreciate seeing this? Because she’s damn sure gonna see it if you don’t play ball.

[Flair, broken at last, slumps down by the stretcher]

Jarrett: Now these nice men are going to send you back to that asylum you came from before, and you’re gonna stay there until I say otherwise. Take him away.

[The doctors hold out a straitjacket for Flair, and he meekly holds out his arms and allows himself to be strapped in.]

Jarrett: NOW!

[Luger, Vampiro and Bigelow charge out, carrying chairs, and assault the helpless Flair in the aisle, beating him unconscious with the chairs, then dumping him unceremoniously on the stretcher.]

Jarrett: That’s one down, and Booker to go tonight. Now bring out MY United States title!

[Booker’s music hits, and he comes out with Terry Taylor and special ref Sid Vicious.]

Vicious: We’ve all had enough of your crap tonight, "Chosen One", so it’s time you got a taste of your own medicine! Now lower the cage!

[The techs lower the cage, trapping Jarrett, Hennig and Kidman inside. Vicious and Booker fight of the Apocolypse members outside the cage while Taylor unlocks the door. Booker and Sid go into the cage, and Sid quickly tosses Kidman and Hennig out of the ring, and out the door, then Taylor locks it behind them, leaving…]

Main event, title v. title: WCW World champion Jeff Jarrett v. US champion Booker. The announcers note that we are desperately low on time. They lock up, and Booker starts hammering Jarrett immediately, to the delight of the fans. Jarrett sidesteps a dropkick and bulldogs Booker, then struts. He comes off the ropes but catches a side-kick right in the mouth, which gets a (fast) two count from Vicious. Jarrett argues and Booker hits him with another one from behind for a FASTER two-count. Booker comes off the ropes with a flying forearm, then off again with a clothesline for two. Booker blasts him with a spinebuster, and goes for the missile dropkick quickly, but Jarrett dodges it. He dropkicks Booker, then suplexes him for two. Jarrett bitches about the count, so Vicious grabs him by the throat and threatens to chokeslam him, popping the crowd huge. Jarrett kicks Sid low to escape, then ducks an incoming Booker and knees him in the gut. DDT gets a leisurely two. Jarrett picks up Booker while arguing with Sid, and Booker is able to hit an inverted atomic drop as a result, followed by the scissor kick. Booker picks Jarrett up for a slam, but a thumb to the eye stops it. Jarrett goes for an atomic drop, but Booker flips out of it and hits a spin kick to the head. Jarrett goes out to the floor, and Booker follows with a pescado. They brawl on the floor, and Booker rams him into the cage as the Apocolypse looks on helplessly. Booker tosses him back in and goes for the flying forearm again, but Jarrett ducks it and locks in the figure-four in the middle of the ring. Booker is in intense pain, but Sid pulls him to the ropes and calls for the break! Jarrett releases the hold and yells about it being a no-DQ match, so Sid chokeslams him! Booker tells him that he doesn’t want it that way, so Sid stands back in the corner and lets him handle it himself. Booker picks him up, but Jarrett doubles him over with a knee to the gut and hits a piledriver. He gets two, but picks him up. Booker is trying to fight back with elbows to the midsection, but Jarrett suddenly drops down and hits a low-blow to stun him, then executes the Stroke! Booker kicks out at two, shocking Jarrett and electrifying the crowd! Jarrett picks him up again and hits another piledriver, and Booker is out cold…then he suddenly breakdances up, causing Jarrett to back into the corner. Booker follows with the 10 punches to the head, then backs up and charges, only to see Jarrett move. Booker crashes into the corner, and Jarrett signals for the end, setting up for a tornado DDT. He sits on the top…and Booker suddenly grabs him by the throat and chokes him out. Booker climbs up to the second turnbuckle with Jarrett, headbutts him three times, then raises the roof one last time and powerbombs Jarrett off the top rope! Booker, exhausted after two hard matches, simply falls on top with his last energy and Sid counts the pin, giving Booker the WCW World title at 7:59. The crowd pops huge as the cage raises and fireworks go off.

[Jarrett rolls out of the ring and takes the mic as the cage lifts and Buff Bagwell, Chris Kanyon and others storm the ring to celebrate.]

Jarrett: You may have won tonight, but there won’t be any celebrating on Nitro tomorrow, I guarantee you that.

[Jarrett and the Apocolypse leave without incident as Booker soaks in the cheers of the fans.]

[We are about to cut out, when we suddenly cut to an unnamed mental institution, where we see a nurse being filmed by the cameraman.]

Nurse: Why are you WCW people here again?

Cameraman: I dunno. Mr. Jarrett wanted this captured on film for posterity or something. I don’t ask, I just sign the cheques.

[The nurse shrugs and hams it up for the camera a bit more.]

Nurse: Oh, here comes your guy.

[The camera swings around to see Flair being brought, none too gently, into a room of his own. Flair seems to be ranting and carrying on.]

Flair: Race! Rhodes! Funk! Brisco! Whoo! Space mountain! Sixty-minute man! Mean! Whoo! Gene! Whoo! By god!

[The door closes and his rantings get quieter but still audible]

Cameraman: Now that guy’s got some problems.

[Voice off camera]: Vinnie, let’s get going here. We gotta get to Nitro tomorrow night.

Cameraman: Sorry, my mind was wandering.

[The camera pulls back with the cameraman as he leaves, and we continue to hear Flair’s rantings, getting quieter each second. As we approach the exit, the camera suddenly swings to the left, and we see a man wearing hospital-regulation pajamas (several sizes too big) with his mouth taped shut.]

Cameraman: Nothing personal man, but this place was driving me nuts. I gotta get back to the action.

Flair: …14 times World champion! Now we go to school…

[The camera pulls back, out of the institution, and into the truck, which slowly drives away, and the camera is placed back in it’s spot for the night and readied for shutdown and transport. In order to shut it off, the cameraman moves into our view, wearing a comically-small WCW crew uniform. It is immediately apparent who he really is.]

Kevin Nash: Don’t worry, Gotham City, Commisioner Gordon will be back in time to call Batman and save the day again! Now where did I put those donuts…

[Fade to black.]